With Class 4-1A state runner-up finishes in both 2003 and 2015, De Soto has enjoyed some pretty big postseason wins in its boys soccer program’s history.
But with all due respect to semifinal wins over Trinity Academy in both of those runner-up seasons, Monday’s quarterfinal victory may very well go down as arguably the biggest ever for the Wildcats.
Trailing perennial powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas with less than two minutes to play in the match, De Soto not only came up with an equalizer, but made it through overtime and then survived 5-4 in a shootout to knock off the Saints and advance to the Class 5A state semifinals for the first time in program history.
“It was a great high school soccer game to watch,” De Soto coach Drew Proctor said. “There was back and forth from both teams all night and both teams played their hearts out.
“I’m proud of how hard these guys fought; an unbelievable performance from a lot of them and a special moment to cement their place in De Soto soccer history.”
Aquinas scored the only goal of the first half and then quickly made it a 2-0 game with another goal just over a minute into the second half. The Saints turned that momentum into constant pressure on the De Soto defense and though they couldn’t get the lead to 3-0, they were in control.
At that point, things looked a bit bleak for the Wildcats.
“When we let in the second goal at the beginning of the second half, it started what seemed like a barrage of attacks from Aquinas that I didn’t think we would survive without letting in another,” Proctor said. “It almost seemed like nothing was going our way. We couldn’t connect passes, missed tackles, miscommunications. But with about 22 minutes left, we finally started to settle down and create some good opportunities.”
De Soto finally broke through, scoring with 18 minutes left when Easton Rice knocked home a ball after Gabe Carillo’s shot went off the crossbar and straight down into the box. Five minutes later, the Wildcats tied the game when Tanner Waite drove to the end line and played a cross to Riley Ford, who sent it into the goal.
“Once our first goal went in, it was like our mentality changed and the belief came back,” Proctor said.
That belief was dealt another blow when Aquinas struck for a go-ahead goal with 6:38 left in the game. But the Wildcats responded and Rice converted a free kick from about 30 yards outside the box that just curled in the near side of the net for the equalizer with 1:19 left.
Rice has been on fire in the postseason with six goals in three playoff games and seven in his last four games overall.
After a scoreless overtime, the game went to penalty kicks and once again De Soto found itself up against it. Aquinas converted their first four kicks while the Wildcats made three of four with Brody Augustine, Rice and Carillo scoring for the Wildcats. Ford then scored on De Soto’s fifth attempt to tie it, but the Saints had a shot to win it with their fifth kicker.
His shot hit the crossbar, however, and after De Soto converted on its sixth attempt by Waite, Aquinas’ bid to match it also saw the shot hit the crossbar and De Soto escaped with the somewhat improbable win.
De Soto (11-7-1) will now travel to Maize South (17-1-1) to take on one of 5A’s top programs over the past decade. The Mavericks have reached the state semifinals seven of the last eight seasons, winning state titles in 2022 and 2023 and finishing runner-up four times, including last season.
“We’ve been battling injuries off and on all year and it seems like we are finally getting healthy,” said Proctor, noting that two original starters are still out with season-ending injuries. “Maize South is tough and has been a tough squad for years. It seems like you can’t mention the 5A state tournament without mentioning their name in recent history. That said, we are hoping to build off the momentum from last night and do what we do best, battle.”
CLASS 5A
BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST 4, PIPER 0 – Locked in a tight battle with upset-minded Piper, Southwest took control in the second half to return to the state semifinals for the 10th time in the past 11 years.
Eli Mick scored twice in the second half and Wesley Abraham also added a goal in the final 40 minutes as the Timberwolves broke free from a 1-0 halftime lead. Reid Williams had scored the only goal of the first half for Southwest.
Southwest (13-4-1) will continue its title defense against Newton (16-3-0), which it beat 3-1 in the 2022 semifinals.
“I thought we played well, just didn’t finish some of our opportunities in the first half,” Southwest coach Erik Jones said. “We defended well and limited Piper’s attack and in the second half we came out and finished much better. Piper played well and did a nice job implementing their plan.
“We are excited for the challenge Newton provides. They are extremely fast, very skilled and well-coached. They defend well and get numbers behind the ball quickly. We will need to be at our best when we face them.”
MAIZE SOUTH 5, SALINA SOUTH 0 – After beating Salina South 3-1 to start October, Maize South once again dominated its Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League rival, scoring all five goals in the opening half. Aldo Acosta and Skylur Staley netted two goals each while Connor Mucciaccio added the other goal as the Mavericks returned to the state semifinals for fifth straight year and seventh time in the last eight seasons.
Maize South (17-1-1) will face De Soto (11-7-1) in the semifinals.
“Salina South was a formidable opponent with a wide array of talent all over the pitch,” Maize South coach Rey Ramirez said. “Their coaching staff has had an amazing last several years with huge final four wins over the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas. Their experience and quality on the field was evident throughout the night. Our boys just had the very best game of the season and really hit their peak at just the right time.
“We are looking to carry that momentum and level of execution into the semifinal. De Soto has shown to have the ability to best the very best teams in the state and their comeback win against Aquinas was truly impressive. A team with that sort of confidence and self-belief is always dangerous.”
NEWTON 1, KAPAUN MT. CARMEL 0 OT – As improbable game-winners go, Newton may have gotten it Monday to knock off Kapaun.
Five minutes into overtime of a scoreless game, Railer Cole Ebert played the ball to defensive midfielder Rafa Solorio Rojas, who fired a 45-yard shot that found the upper 90 for the game-winning golden goal.
Newton (16-3-0) will travel to defending champion Blue Valley Southwest (13-4-1) for the semifinals in a rematch of the 2022 semifinals where the Timberwolves took a 3-1 win.
CLASS 6A
BLUE VALLEY WEST 2, BLUE VALLEY 0 – When West lost 1-0 in overtime to rival Blue Valley in the season opener it was a game Jaguar coach Kyle Conley felt his let get away. Given a second shot at the Tigers, West didn’t let it happen again.
Brady Eden scored the only goal West needed in the 28th minute of the first half on an assist from Sia Gummadipudi. Nate Berman added an insurance goal late in the second half off a feed from Colsen Odgers and keeper Brody Hefner and the Jaguar defense made it hold up.
Blue Valley West (17-2-0) will have another rematch in the semifinals, playing host to Washburn Rural (17-1-1). The Jaguars won a Sept. 9 meeting with the Junior Blues 3-2 in overtime.
“We look forward to the challenge to take on a very talented and well-coached Washburn Rural team,” Conley said. “If it is anything like the first matchup, this is going to be an incredible match.”
SHAWNEE MISSION EAST 3, OLATHE EAST 0 – The defending champ Lancers are not only still alive, but made a strong statement that they won’t relinquish their crown easily. After beating Olathe East 3-1 in the regular season finale, the Lancers denied the Hawks a shot at revenger, jumping out to a 2-0 halftime lead on the way to the 3-0 shutout.
Miles Gibson opened the scoring for the Lancers on an assist from Stephen Hlobik. Hlobik then was on the other side of things, scoring East’s final two goals on assists from Justin Jones and Owen Andrews.
East (15-3-1) will hit the road for the semifinals, traveling to Wichita Southeast (18-1-0), the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
“(Monday) was a great win against a tough Sunflower League opponent and we knew they would have revenge on their mind and be motivated to play us,” East coach Jamie Kelly said. “The boys played great defense and Will came up with some big saves to keep the game at 2-0 at the time and stop them from gaining momentum.
“(Southeast is) 18-1 and you don’t win 18 games without having quality players and a quality team. We will be challenged against them and we look forward to visiting and playing a team we normally do not get to play.”
WICHITA SOUTHEAST 1, DODGE CITY 0 – Making its first appearance in the state quarterfinals since 2010 and facing a Dodge City program that has lived there for the past decade-plus, Southeast showed its poise. Scoreless not only through the entire first half, but deep into the second half, the Buffaloes found a way to knock off the Red Demons, who finished at state runner-up last year.
Daniel Puga scored the lone goal of the game with five minutes to play to propel the Buffaloes to the state semifinals for the first time since 2008. Southeast (18-1-0) now gets the team that beat Dodge City for the title a year ago, Shawnee Mission East (15-3-1).
“A huge win for our program,” Southeast coach Cody Fitch said. “Now we get a matchup against the defending state champions.”
WASHBURN RURAL 5, GARDEN CITY 1 – The highest-scoring team in Washburn Rural history flexed its muscle early and often in rolling to the semifinals for the sixth straight year. Draden Chooncharoen and Myles Didde each scored in the first 20 minutes and Rural added a third tally on an own goal by the Buffaloes for a 3-0 halftime lead.
After Garden City scored in the second half, Dylan Willingham converted a pair of penalty kicks to extend his school-record single season goal total to 37 this season. Rural (17-1-1) now gets a chance to avenge its only loss of the season when it travels to Blue Valley West, which edged the Junior Blues 1-0 in overtime in early September.
“We’ll be ready for Wednesday,” Rural coach Brian Hensyel said. “We’ve been playing great for quite some time and we’re confident in our chances. (The loss to West) was probably the turning point for our season. We thought we were going to be pretty good and that first half we were good and then gave it away. Blue Valley West is a good team, obviously, but on that night we felt we handed one away in the second half.”
CLASS 4-1A
BALDWIN 3, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 1 – Baldwin moved one step closer to getting back to the state championship match for the first time since 2022, controlling the quarterfinal game with Heritage. Leo Schoenberger scored a pair of goals for the Bulldogs and Cooper Carr added the other, giving him 25 for the season – just three off his school record of 28.
Baldwin (16-3-0) will play host to Wichita Classical (14-5-0) in the semifinals.
“Our quarterfinal win was one of the most complete team matches we have played,” Baldwin coach Ryan Cox said. “Everyone came out focused and ready to try and get back to Wichita. We have a veteran team that is looking forward to playing one more match at home. We have a quality opponent coming to town and we know that it won’t be an easy game. However our seniors have been in this situation before and they know what it takes to be successful and make it to the title game.
BISHOP MIEGE 2, KC CHRISTIAN 1 – Trailing 1-0 after KC Christian got a goal from Porter Phillips with 25 minutes left in the first half, Miege tied the game just before halftime on a goal from Joseph Beck. The momentum carried over into the second half as less than two minutes in, Stag junior Brady Sciachetano crossed the ball and it deflected off a Panther defender and into the goal for the game-winner.
Miege out-shot the Panthers 30-6 and continued its dominance in the series, beating the Panthers in the playoffs for the seventh straight year. Miege (15-3-1) will get a shot at revenge in its semifinal match, taking on a Rose Hill team (17-2-0) that ended the Stags’ run of eight straight state championships last year in the semifinals in a 2-0 game.
“We’re excited for the challenge of taking on Rose Hill once again and we know we’ll need to be at our best in our system to beat them on their home field,” Miege coach Nate Huppe said.
ROSE HILL 3, MCPHERSON 0 – Having pulled out a tight 1-0 win over McPherson just over a month ago, Rose Hill had to be leery of Monday’s quarterfinal rematch. But the Rockets put any anxieties to rest with a dominant first half, scoring all three goals in the opening 40 minutes.
Jordy Kaba scored on a penalty kick after a handball in the box 17 minutes into the game and that opened things up for the Rockets. Brady Liebl followed quickly with another goal and Caden Davis capped the scoring with a goal with just over minutes left in the half.
Rose Hill (17-2-0) will now have a rematch of last year’s semifinal with Bishop Miege (15-3-1). With a 2-0 win in last year’s semifinals, the Rockets ended Miege’s eight-year reign in Class 4-1A.
“Should be another epic game for us,” Rose Hill coach Jerry Treat said.
WICHITA CLASSICAL 8, CAIR PARAVEL 3 – Classical not only reached the semifinals for the first time in program history, but knocked down that door in a big way. The Saints, who had fallen in the quarterfinals last year and in 2022, stormed out to a 6-1 halftime lead on Cair Paravel.
Simon Graham had a monster game for the Saints, scoring a whopping five goals in the contest. Isaiah Daniels and Eli Krieger also added goals and the other came on an own goal from the Lions. Grahm scored four of his goals in the first half, all assisted by Charlie Ochs.
Classical (14-5-0) will travel to Baldwin (16-3-0) for the semifinals.
“Cair Paravel has a number of very talented players offensively,” Classical coach Justin Kenas said. “We had a good start to the game yet even at halftime we talked that they were not quitting and were continuing to play like they were going to get back in it.
“We are excited about the semifinals and having a chance to play Baldwin to go to the finals.”